Norway condemns attack on weapons inspectors in Syria

UN weapons inspectors were today shot at while attempting to verify the claims that chemical weapons have been used on the outskirts of Damascus.

“It is essential that the UN weapons inspectors are given the opportunity to establish what has happened, and to identify who is responsible for the use of chemical weapons. I condemn the attack on the weapons inspectors in the strongest possible terms. All parties to the conflict are responsible for ensuring the safety of the inspectors, but particular responsibility rests with the Syrian regime, since it is most able to protect the inspectors where they are working,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.
 
The UN has sent a team made up of experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the World Health Organization to investigate the reports of chemical weapons attacks in a Damascus suburb last week. The team’s work has been delayed because the remit of the inspectors’ mission has had to be clarified, not least with the Syrian authorities, and this has been time-consuming. 

“The use of chemical weapons constitutes a war crime, irrespective of who has used the illegal weapons. There must be consequences for those responsible for this. Attempts to prevent the weapons inspectors from carrying out their work show that those behind the attack are afraid of the consequences,” Mr Eide said.
 
The UN Security Council has not managed to agree on a common position with regard to the situation in Syria, nor has it agreed on referring the conflict in Syria to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.  

“The situation has escalated beyond what the international community can or should accept. It is crucial that the members of the Security Council now take joint responsibility,” Mr Eide said.